Gatwick arrests fall as staff encouraged to act fast

Staff at Gatwick are being encouraged to report disruptive incidents to police as soon as possible to prevent situations from escalating.

Over the summer, a total of 51 passengers were arrested at the airport after staff reported 376 ‘problematic’ passengers to police.

This compares with 56 arrests from May to the end of August last year.

Sussex Police said staff had been encouraged to report incidents early to enable officers to intervene asap.

A spokesman said: "A total of 376 reports of problematic passengers were reported to police during the latest campaign, which ran from 1 May to 31 August. This is despite an increase of 106,475 passengers compared to the same period the previous year."

There were 118 reports in 2015; 113 in 2016; 266 in 2017; and 379 in 2018.

Inspector James Biggs of the Gatwick Prevention Team said: "While these figures may seem high on the face of it, recorded incidents of disorderly behaviour are comparatively rare at the airport, representing just 0.001 per cent of all passengers.

"However, when incidents do occur, we need to ensure we are able to respond efficiently and effectively, to keep the level of disruption to a minimum.

"Identifying potential problem passengers at an early stage allows airlines to put bags on standby so they do not have to search the entire hold if an individual continues to be disruptive and is refused flight.

"This results in fewer delayed flights and less congestion, saving both the airline – and the airport – time and money."

He said that of the 376 incidents report, 119 were alcohol-related. Other factors include smoking, drug-taking, domestic incidents, assaults, baggage problems, delayed or cancelled flights and medical or mental health issues.

Of the 51 arrests, 27 were alcohol-related, nine were public order, six 6assault; four sexual offences, three racially aggravated public order and two were domestic violence.

Nikki Barton, Gatwick’s head of Stable Operations, said: "These figures suggest that our joint campaign with the police is working and has reversed the trend. We are not complacent, however, and we will continue to improve the measures we have in place, including working collaboratively with our airlines and the police, encouraging the early reporting of disruptive behaviour and targeting specific flights."

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